Ash Regan

15 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy will instruct the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to appoint representatives from (a) Petroineos Grangemouth, (b) Unite the Union and (c) local businesses.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Grangemouth Future Industry Board has representation from Petroineos and Unite the Union. My officials are currently working to secure membership of senior leaders from across the businesses located at the Grangemouth Industrial cluster.

15 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Petroineos, (b) Unite the Union and (c) local businesses to discuss the future of Petroineos Grangemouth, and what matters were discussed.

Answer · Neil Gray: Representatives from Scottish Government, Petroineos and Unite the Union met on 18 January 2023 to during the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum discuss the future of the refinery. For discussion topics I refer the member to the pu…

15 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to co-ordinate any necessary (a) investment and (b) action to help sustain the refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government chaired the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum on 18 January which included representation from the UK Government and Petroineos to explore all options regarding the future of the refinery site. I am encourag…

15 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether retaining the oil refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth is one of its strategic policy objectives, in light of reports that retaining this element of the business would reflect the importance of the site as a national economic asset.

Answer · Neil Gray: We recognise the important role that the Grangemouth refinery plays in meeting current fuel demand in Scotland and we know the wider cluster will be key to meeting fuel demand in the future. It is our preference that refining should continue for as long as p…

14 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of any potential impact of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the (a) powers, (b) independence and (c) operation of Scottish courts.

Answer · Emma Roddick: The Scottish Government will consider any potential impact of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the Scottish courts, and any other potential implications of the bill for the responsibilities of the government and the Scottish Parliament.  

14 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any potential impact of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the Act of Union of 1707 in relation to the jurisdiction of Scottish courts.

Answer · Emma Roddick: There have been no such discussions. The Scottish Government is clear in our opposition to the Bill. The UK Government should focus on improving the UK asylum system, so that people are treated fairly and with dignity and respect throughout the process.  

12 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that the 6.5% increase in practice staff earnings, as part of the uplifted General Medical Services (GMS) contract for 2023-24, is applied to all practice staff, including general practice nurses, particularly in practices not aligned with the Agenda …

Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Government advise that all practices should apply the uplift to staff pay unless there are extenuating circumstances. We have resourced the average practice to afford a 6.5% increase for staff pay because we believe this is what practices will need t…

4 Dec 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to allocate funding to local authorities in its 2024-25 Budget to facilitate the cancellation of any school meal debt and expand universal free school meal provision to those age groups that are not currently entitled. 

27 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to support the expansion of local community energy projects.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government continues to make good progress towards our target of securing 2GW of community and locally owned energy by 2030. Our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) has supported communities across Scotland looking to develop local co…

27 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of people that were registered with an NHS dentist who have had their access to NHS dentistry removed in the past year.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold individual information on NHS patients de-registered. NHS Boards make arrangements with independent contractors and dental bodies corporate to provide NHS dental services. A practice will notify the respective NHS Board w…

27 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue to evaluate any benefits of the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) by including further funding for the scheme in its Budget for 2024-25.

Answer · Paul McLennan: An evaluation of the Scottish Government shared equity schemes (Help to Buy, Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) and New Supply Shared Equity (NSSE)) was published in June 2020. The evaluation can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.s…

27 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the future viability of the Ferguson Marine Shipyard, in light of the decision to reprofile the 2023-24 budget allocation for phase 1 of the Small Vessels Replacement Programme.

Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government is working with the Board of FMPG as it develops its plans for the future. Decisions on which contracts to pursue are operational matters for the management and Board of the business.  

14 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent fireworks-related disorder in Edinburgh, and reports that many of the fireworks that were recovered may not have been purchased locally, what work has been undertaken to prevent imported fireworks from being sold in Scotland.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Border security and the movement of goods is a reserved matter for the UK government; however, the Scottish Government provides grant funding to the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to support law enforcement activity undert…

14 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to prevent the sale of illegal fireworks, following the recent fireworks-related disorder in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Product safety is a reserved matter; however, the Scottish Government provides grant funding to the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) to undertake a program of enforcement against the sale of illicit fireworks in Scotland. Th…

12 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was carried out with the Catholic Church in the preparation of its draft document, Guidance on the Delivery of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education in Scottish Schools, and, in light of reported calls for "the re-insertion of the paragraphs relat…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Work to revise the current RSHP teaching guidance was taken forward with a group of key stakeholders, including the Scottish Catholic Education Service. This engagement included meeting to consider the basis of a section in the revised guidance relating to fa…

7 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many arrests were made in (a) October and (b) November 2023 to date, in connection with fireworks-related disorder, and how these figures compare to the same period in 2022.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: There were 16* detected firework related crimes in Scotland in October 2023. As of 15 November there has been 22* detected firework related crimes for November 2023. This figure is expected to rise as Police Scotland continue their investigations. This compa…

7 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what correspondence it has had with and (b) what representations have been made to it by the City of Edinburgh Council regarding firework control zones in Edinburgh.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The City of Edinburgh Council formed a part of the Firework Control Zones Working Group, which co-developed the Guidance for Local Authorities. Representatives from City of Edinburgh Council attended information sharing sessions for local authorities held by…

7 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the implementation timetable is for the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, and on what date the licensing scheme provided for in the Act will come into effect.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: Four of the six key provisions in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 have been implemented to date. The prohibition on supply to children came into effect on 10 October 2022 alongside the aggravation of offences for emergency workers.…

13 Jun 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the visual recorded interviews pilot, which involves Police Scotland recording the witness statements of adult and 16- and 17-year-old complainers involving allegations of rape and attempted rape, including any learning from the cases involved as they…

30 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Scottish Prison Service's gender identity and gender reassignment policy, which potentially allows for males who have been convicted of violent offences against other males to be placed in a female establishment, what evidence it has regarding whether males who commit …

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: SPS’s approach to the placement and management of all transgender individuals seeks to protect the rights and safety of everyone in pr…

25 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women in prison have been sectioned under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in each of the last five years.

Answer · Maree Todd: Section 136 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) provides for the transfer of prisoners to hospital for treatment for mental disorder by way of a transfer for treatment direction (TTD). A TTD cannot be applied to prison…

25 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women in prison were registered as having a disability in each of the last five years, and, of those, how many had a (a) physical and (b) learning disability.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: The information is not held in the format requested. The following table provides information on the number of women who have disclos…

25 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a detailed breakdown of how much the Scottish Prison Service gender identity and gender reassignment policy review has cost to date.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows: Apart from costs of a transcription service used to transcribe interviews and surveys during the engagement phase of the review, all c…

25 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many women currently in prison have mental health issues.

Answer · Maree Todd: This is a matter for individual health boards who are responsible for providing prisoner healthcare. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. To ensure that changes to prison mental health services are evidence-based and pe…

25 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the commissioning of research into the so-called Tinker Experiment.

Answer · Emma Roddick: The Scottish Government has committed to undertaking independent research to understand the impact of 20 th century policies on the Gypsy/Traveller community in Scotland. We developed specifications for two research projects to gather further information, wit…

10 May 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its prospectus for an independent Scotland, in light of reported divisions within the independence movement.

13 Apr 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £50 million investment in play parks and facilities will be distributed across all 32 local authorities.

Answer · Natalie Don: The following table shows the remaining £50 million play park allocation for each local authority. This information can also be found on the Scottish Government website Renewing Scotland’s play parks - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Local Authority 2023-24 20…

12 Apr 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its cross-government co-ordination on islands policies, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding regulating second home ownership in rural and island communities.

22 Mar 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider procuring a lower specification of standardised ferries.

13 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all NHS PFI/PPP facilities, broken down by the (a) total (i) unitary charge costs for each (A) in 2018-19 and (B) over their lifetime, (ii) capital value of each and (b) ratio of the overall unitary charges relative to the capital value.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on PPP/PFI projects in Scotland, including a link to HM Treasury’s list of projects and corresponding capital values and unitary charges, is available online from: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Finance/18232/12308 .